Surprises
by z shadow619
Summary: Ash and Dawn discover a few surprising things about how they feel. Can they surprise each other too? Pearlshipping.
1. Realizations

**Yo! I got a little bit of positive feed back on my last Pearlshipping fix, I figured, "**** it, let's try another."**

**This one will have a few chapters. Not a one-shot. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. It's owned by (insert owners here).**

* * *

><p>"It's been a pleasure having you here, Dawn!" The Poke-Modeling agency worker said to her, before kneeling down to Buneary, "And of course, you too, Buneary!"<p>

Dawn rubbed the back of her head. "Ah thanks! We had a blast, right Buneary?"

"Bun-EAR!" Buneary said, pumping her small fist into the air.

"We'll keep you on our list for the future...we would sure love to have you back sometime. What are you going to do now?" The worker asked.

"Thanks..." Dawn paused before going on, "I'm not actually sure. I've been on the road for awhile. Maybe I should go home and figure that out." She finished, rubbing the back of her head.

"Ha, well, good luck in whatever it is! Your payment will be sent in the mail!" The worker waved her off.

So Dawn began walking the the road, heading for Twinleaf town. Feeling a little lonesome, she called out Piplup to walk with her.

"Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiplup. Pip." Piplup yawned and stretched.

"Hey Piplup. Mind if we talk? It's a little lonely walking by myself." Dawn said. Piplup nodded vigorously.

As the two began walking, Dawn stopped and noticed what looked like a dust could coming at her from down the path. It looked rather far away, but it was approaching fast.

"Maybe it's a Pokemon?" she wondered aloud. Whipping out her Pokedex, she pointed it toward the oncoming object.

"PIPLUP! LUP LUP PIPPLE!" Piplup squeaked anxiously, trying to get Dawn's attention.

"Quiet, Piplup..." Dawn said, flicking her Pokedex open.

"NO POKEMON DETECTED." Her Pokedex stated.

"Huh. Wonder what it-" Dawn didn't have a chance to finish the thought, unfortunately as...

BER-THUD!

...Barry ran directly into her, knocking them both to the ground.

Barry, of course sprang right up to his feet. "WHOA! Sorry there Dawn, just searching around, trying to fill up my Pokedex. You doing okay? I've been great!"

Dawn, however, sat up slowly rubbing her forehead. "Ugh...yeah Barry, real good. Just on my way back to Twinleaf."

Barry was practically twitching with the urge to take off running once more. "What, no adventure? That's boring! YOU'RE boring! What would Ash say? Just kidding. Anyway, I'M saying PEACE OUT Dawn, catch you later!"

And with that, Barry was off. However, a certain part of what Barry said struck Dawn.

_Ash..._

Dawn frowned. Piplup noticed and pat her hand, as it knew exactly why Dawn was down all of the sudden.

Ever since that boat to Kanto had departed, Dawn had spent a lot of time wondering how different things would be if she had gone with Ash. As much fun as Pokemodeling had been, she missed traveling with him.

They sent letters occasionally, as she learned Ash did with a lot of people he had adventured with, but deep down, Dawn missed hearing his voice and seeing his adventure-hungry expression.

Not to say that she didn't miss Brock too. _Of course I miss both of them,_ she thought to herself, _but Ash did so much to help me get where I am now. I just...UGH. Why do I think about him so much?  
><em>

While not nearly as dense as Ash, Dawn herself was oblivious enough to not realize why exactly she felt this way.

But Piplup knew. "Piplup pip." It said smugly, crossing it's flippers.

Dawn looked at her Pokemon and blushed. "I wasn't thinking about him!"

Piplup just tilted it's head and stared at her. After a few moments, Dawn conceded, rubbing the back of her head, and admitted, "Yeah, okay, I'm thinking about Ash. Again. Doesn't mean I...like him that way. Right?"

Again, Piplup just stared at her, with an "Oh really?" expression on it's face.

"Hey, I didn't call you out just for you to accuse me of liking Ash. Just because I miss him,think about him a lot, really want to see him, remember the way he smells..." Dawn paused, and thought about what she was saying.

Piplup's expression, needless to say, changed to a smug one, as Dawn blurted out, "Holy crap, you're right, aren't you? I got it bad."

"Pip-pip-pip-pip!" Piplup laughed.

Dawn facepalmed as they walked down the road. "Well, it sure does explain why I've been thinking of him so much since he left. Him and his unkempt black hair, and his brown eyes, and the way he's so caring, and-"

Piplup cut her off with a Bubblebeam attack, knocking the coordinator down. She hopped back up to her feet and blushed. "Er thanks, guess I was rambling. So, what do you think we should do, Piplup? We finished the Pokemodeling thing, I just realized I'm completely lovestruck, and it isn't even lunchtime."

Before Piplup could answer, Buneary burst out of it's Pokeball, and began waving it's arms around frantically. "Buneary! Bunear-bun earybunbun. Ear!"

Dawn frowned. "Buneary...I know you want to see Pikachu, but I can't just drop in on Ash in Unova unannounced! It's rude! We don't even know where he is in Unova or..." Dawn looked off to the side sadly, "maybe he found someone else. I mean, he'd have to stop being so oblivious to that kind of thing, but it could happen, right?"

Buneary and Piplup looked at each other and broke out in to fits of laughter. Dawn couldn't help but laugh too. "I didn't say it was likely, just possible."

Dawn could see Twinleaf Town coming up on the horizon. Despite her newly discovered "condition," she was ecstatic to see her mother again. She re-called her two Pokemon and began sprinting down the path to her home.

* * *

><p><strong>UNOVA REGION - LAST NIGHT - OUTSIDE ICIRRUS CITY<strong>

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><p>Ash looked around the darkened campsite. Pikachu was curled up in it's sleeping bag, as were Cilan and Iris. It had to be well past midnight, but Ash just wasn't tired. He had a lot on his mind.<p>

_Why does everything feel so...different?_ He thought to himself.

He loved the Unova region, all the cool new Pokemon and adventure. And as creepy as Team Plasma was to him, it wasn't like he hadn't been through this kind of thing before. No, something about this region just left him feeling slightly off.

He often found himself remember nights like this he had in Sinnoh, except it would be a little different...

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><p><strong>FLASHBACK<strong>

_Ash sat next to the fire, too nervous to fall asleep. Tomorrow the Lily of the Valley conference took place. He knew he needed to rest, but he had too much racing through his mind._

"_Ash?" A sweet voice came from the tent behind him. Dawn crawled out in her pajamas. _

"_Oh. Hey Dawn." Ash greeted. He knew what was coming next..._

"_What are you doing up? You need to get some sleep for tomorrow!" Dawn said sternly._

_Ash just smiled. "Oh come on. We stay up late and talk around the fire all the time. Besides, I can't sleep."_

_Dawn rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just for a little bit. Just don't let this ruin your battles tomorrow!"_

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><p>Ash sighed. He found himself remembering those nights a lot. Nights where him and Dawn would stay up, and just talk. <em>I miss Dawn...I hope she got that letter I sent her a few days ago.<em>

He caught himself in thought and remembered, _Er, I miss EVERYONE. Not just her. Why am I doing that so much?_

"Ash, what are you doing up?"

Ash jumped and turned around. Cilan stood up, stretching and yawning.

"Oh, hey Cilan. Sorry, sometimes I just can't sleep. I just have some stuff on my mind." Ash replied.

Cilan walked over and sat down across the fire from Ash. "Oh? What seems to be troubling you?"

Normally, Ash would've said it was nothing, and not to worry about it. But, he knew Cilan was a wise person. And maybe, he wanted answers about this weird feeling he's been having.

"Just...you ever...feel like you left something important behind?" Ash asked, not quite sure to word how he felt.

"Well we all feel like that sometimes Ash. Can you elaborate a little bit?" The connoisseur asked.

Ash felt a little embarrassed but continued. "Well...and before I begin, don't get me wrong, I love traveling with you and Iris...but something about this just feels different. Like something drastic changed when I started traveling here."

"Very interesting, Ash. Can you pinpoint the source of the change? I mean, it sounds like you've traveled to a wide array of regions, not to mention had many traveling companions - human and Pokemon, interweaving many different personalities to compliment your own!" Cilan asked.

Ash blinked. "Wait, what?"

Cilan laughed. "Tell me what you think about when you get this feeling of emptiness."

Ash sighed and continued. He had told Cilan and Iris about his old travels before, but These thoughts were a little more personal.

"Well...like you said, I've traveled with a lot of people. I guess...after Misty left...I just got used to people leaving. When I got done with the Battle Frontier, May left too...and yeah, I keep in touch with them and all but...something feels different about the way the last trip ended. I know Dawn wanted to come with me at first, and she was really torn up about it, but we keep in touch. But...I dunno. I just think about my old travels a lot." Ash said.

"And what is the ingredient missing from your travel souffle that has left you so deflated?" Cilan asked, beginning to understand.

"Like I said, I write to everyone, and never had an issue about this but...I...maybe I was closer to Dawn than the others? I just now have noticed how different it is not traveling with her..." Ash trailed off.

"Ash, you silly boy!" Cilan interjected, loudly, making Pikachu and Iris stir.

"Hey, Cilan, could you maybe keep it do-" Ash said, a little worried.

"EVALUATION TIME!" Cilan yelled, making Pikachu and Iris jump awake. They quickly rushed over in confusion.

"You!" Cilan said, spinning around and dramatically pointing at Ash, "Living in a constant, symbolic cycle of DEATH AND REBIRTH! New journey, fresh starts, leaving the past behind!"

"What's he going on about at this time of night?" Iris asked, yawning.

"Pika!" Pikachu said angrily.

"HOWEVER!" Cilan said, sliding to his left, "After your latest reincarnation, a certain issue from the perils of the GYM BADGE CHALLENGE, you did not fully draw closure from your past life!"

"Lives? Deaths? Rebirths? All I said was..." Ash said frantically, waving his arms around.

"You said it loud and clear Ash!" Cilan said, adding another spin, followed by a small dance, "I can safely deduce, that the reason you reminisce so much about the past, is due to the attachment of a young lass who gripped on to the cockles of your heart in the Sinnoh region."

Ash just stared completely dumbfounded. After a moment, Iris began to laugh.

"He says you love Dawn, dude." She said between bursts of laughter.

Ash blushed. "WHAT?"

* * *

><p>"So, you and Ash huh?" Johanna asked her daughter teasingly.<p>

"MOM! Stop, I just said I have a crush on him. He probably forgot all about me." Dawn said, masking a little bit of sadness in her voice.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Johanna replied, holding up the mail, "He just sent you this letter."

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><p><strong>End of Chapter 1!<strong>

**How did I do writing Cilan? I was worried about that. Funny guy. You guys want me to keep going?**


	2. Setting the Wheels in Motion

Surprises

Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own any aforementioned characters. None of them. Because that's the point of this website.**

**Take note: I'm trying to take a humorous, yet somewhat realistic approach to this. Well, as realistic as the world of Pokemon can be. Both Ash and Dawn are pretty clueless kids (how Ash is still 10 being a huge mystery to me), and when they first figure out all this kind of stuff, they wouldn't know how to handle the situation. This is why this is a multi-chapter fic: because they have to figure out how to deal with their own feelings as well as how to pursue each other.**

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><p>Dawn quickly ripped the letter out of her mom's hand, not making a very good effort in containing her excitement. "When did this come?"<p>

Johanna laughed. "It came this morning, not long before you got here. I bet you feel like squealing in excitement, don't you?"

Dawn blushed and waved her hands in the air frantically. "I have no clue what you're talking about! But I'm going to go to my room now."

Johanna rolled her eyes, and counted down in her head. _5…4…3…2, _she heard the door close to Dawn's room. _…1._

"EEEEEEEEEEE" She heard come from her daughter's room.

_Ah, to be young again. _Johanna thought to herself, smiling.

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><p>Dawn tore the envelope open and smiled. She recognized the terrible scrawl of Ash's handwriting. As she read, she imagined his voice reciting the words.<p>

**Hey Dawn!**

** Glad to here things are going so well with the modeling stuff. Then again, when you get this, you'll probably done, right?**

** Things are going well for me too! We just started heading down the road to Icirrus City, where I'll be going for my 7th gym badge! Cilan says it may take awhile, but it sounds like I'll get to see some really cool Pokemon on the way! **

**And of course I miss traveling with you! And Brock! I don't know if you've been writing to him too, but it sounds like he's doing pretty well in Pokemon Medical School.**

** Speaking of which, my Pokemon are doing great too, thanks for asking! Like I said before, I think you'd love some of the Pokemon here in Unova! Too bad you couldn't come.**

**Come to think of it, what are you going to do now that you're almost done? Well, I'm going to stop now, Cilan said lunch is ready. Hope to hear from you soon!**

**Ash**

_Icirrus City…_Dawn thought to herself. _I wonder if he's there yet?_

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><p>"HEY LOVERBOY, WAKE UP!" A voice yelled in to Ash's year, making him scream and leap up from his sleeping bag, breathing heavily.<p>

Iris stood over him and chuckled. "Come on, we're almost to Icirrus. Maybe you'll have a letter from your _girly-friend_."

Ash blushed, but luckily Iris had turned away to go talk to Cilan.

_Curse you, Cilan!_ Ash thought to himself.

Last night, after the accusations, Ash vehemently denied his friends, and decided he was suddenly tired after all (of course, no one saw through this charade, but they all went to bed because it was late anyways).

But Ash had stayed up for some time tossing and turning. Every time he closed his eyes, he heard her voice. He even had a dream about the two of them...

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><p><strong>Ash's Dream<strong>

Ash was chasing Dawn through a . She was running...it sounded like she was laughing

"DAWN, WAIT!" Ash said, laughing as he ran after het

It seemed like every time he got closer, she began moving inhumanly fast. After what seemed like forever, she reached a cliff overlooking the ocean.

Ash stood next to her overlooking the cliffs.

"Do you think I'll ever be Master Coordinator?" Dawn asked him.

"Of course Dawn!" Ash exclaimed.

"Will you be there?" Dawn asked.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

Dawn reached over and cupped his face in her hands, making Ash feel warm. "I want you there with me Ash."

"Dawn..."

'HEY LOVERBOY, WAKE UP!"

* * *

><p>...and that was his dream.<p>

_Curse you, Cilan...for being right. _Ash thought, finishing with a sigh. By now, the trio was walking down the path, a Pokemon Center coming in to view on the horizon.

Ash sped up slightly, so that his friends couldn't see him blushing as he asked them, "Hey guys?"

"What's up Ash?" Cilan answered.

"Let's say that you were right about Dawn...what do you think I should do?"

Iris face-palmed. "Oh come on Ash. Haven't you ever seen a romantic movie? Something big and romantic! And surprising. With food. On the beach. In a castle. With food, in castle on a beach."

"Er, maybe you should start smaller." Cilan suggested. "I mean, maybe you could call her?"

"Oh, well, if you want to be boring about it. I'm climbing trees now." Iris said, wondering off, climbing up a tree and traveling that way.

"Never a dull moment. Well Ash, did YOU have any ideas?" Cilan asked.

"Uh...not really. I've just been sending her letters. Brock always said I was clueless about this stuff. Come to think of it, so did Misty, May, and Dawn." Ash said, scratching his head.

"One should always evaluate things carefully. Call her, and see if there is any other potential suitors for the young lady's affection." Cilan advised.

"Suitors?" Ash asked.

"HE MEANS FIND OUT IF SHE'S GOT A BOYFRIEND! THEN YOU SHOULD ASK HER TO COME VISIT!" Iris shouted.

"But she lives in Sinnoh!" Ash yelled.

"DON'T BE A CHEAPSKATE, BUY HER A TICKET! WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU EVEN SPENT SOME OF YOUR WINNINGS?" Iris yelled.

"She has a point Ash. going out of your way to be able to see her will can convey a large amount of your affections for her. Perhaps you could go see her if that's not possible. There are so many options for you, just as their are so many recipes for the seasoning the spice of life!" Cilan said excitedly.

Ash sighed and sweatdropped. "Life was easier when I was clueless to these things. Growing up sucks."

"Pika-pi." Pikachu said, patting it's trainer on the head.

* * *

><p><em>Okay. I've traveled the whole region. I've seen legendary Pokemon. I've competed in a ton of contests. I can do this.<em>

Dawn's Pokemon say on her bed, watching their trainer curiously.

"Pip...lup?" Piplup asked.

Dawn realized they were watching her and turned around blushing. "Oh, uh...don't worry about me guys. Why don't you go play outside? It's an awesome day. I'll be out soon."

The Pokemon cheered and took off out the door. Except for Piplup. Piplup paused in the doorway, turned around to Dawn, and said "Pip pip!"

Dawn crossed her arms. "He DOES NOT have me acting like a love-sick Growlithe."

Piplup laughed to itself and ran off to play.

_Okay...here goes nothing._

Dawn picked turned on the video-phone program on her computer. She typed in the Icirrus City Pokemon Center phone number.

**CONNECTING...**

_OH GOD END THE CALL! END THE CALL!_ Her mind screamed at her.

Dawn frantically closed the program down and sighed. "Smooooth, Dawn. This is what, the fourth time you've done that? You can't even call Ash casually?"

Johanna leaned against her daughter's doorway. "You know dear, it's not healthy to talk to yourself."

Dawn looked up and blushed. "MOOOOOM! It's not like I know what I'm doing."

Johanna laughed. "Oh, young love."

Dawn sighed and banged her head on the desk with a loud THUD. "Ow."

"Can I tell you something?" Johanna asked, very amused.

"No mom. I want to be alone to try and convince myself that I'm not lame for not being able to call Ash." Dawn mumbled.

Johanna laughed. "Okay, I'll go downstairs, and tell Ash on the video-phone to call you back another time."

Before she knew it, Dawn had flown past her and ran down the stairs.

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><p>Reviews. I love getting them. Please?<p> 


	3. Video Conferencing

**Surprises: Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, or anything of that nature, nor do I wish to impose upon those who view this that I do, as that would be false. And that's terrible.**

**Note: Anyone ever notice a few similarities between Cilan and Fawful (from the Mario & Luigi games)? Over-the-topness, comparing things to food. I noticed it. And I'm not complaining, I think it's great.**

**Also: Thank you to all my reviewers! I will try to update this story every couple of days, but bare with me: I write this in my spare time at work, and on the weekends, I have my son with me (so it will be relegated to naptime, if I have the energy to write while he's taking his nap).**

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><p>"Guys, why am I so nervous?" Ash asked his friends, staring down the video-phone at the Pokemon Center. "I never feel this nervous! Not even for Gym Battles!"<p>

Iris laughed. "Because you're a kid. And this time, I don't mean that to be as insulting. You love Pokemon and competing, and you've known it's what you've always wanted to do."

"But this," Cilan continued, "is something you're terribly inexperienced at, and have gone most of your life without even thinking about. It's a surprising change in your psyche indeed!"

Ash face-palmed. "Are you guys sure about this? Maybe I should forget all about this and focus on my gym battle. I mean, she's all the way in Sinnoh...would it even work out?"

"Ash, you silly boy!" Cilan exclaimed, "That's not how love ever works!"

Ash and Pikachu glanced at each other in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Iris rolled her eyes. "Tell me Ash, how long during this trip have you spent reminiscing about her?"

Ash just looked to the side. "Shut up."

"Hoow looooong?"

"...most nights." He said, folding his arms in a weak attempt at defiance.

"Oh, don't be such a baby about it! Ugh!" Iris responded, throwing her hands in the air with frustration. She turned to Cilan. "Help him, will you? I'll go get us some rooms."

"And unfortunately," Cilan said, "once you know the actual cause of the problem, it becomes harder to ignore. Tell me, now that you know, how easy do you think it will be to focus on battles until you've at least made taken some steps in baking this cake of affection and desire!"

Ash paused. "I...don't know. Maybe you're right. This is all I've been thinking about today. Ugh, it's like when Piplup met that Marill." Then, Ash began to panic a little bit. "Is this what love does to people! How will I ever become a Pokemon Master at this rate!"

Cilan laughed and waved the questions off. "Multi-tasking, Ash. You learn to cope with it as you grow up. And plenty of people fall in love and still go on to have successful lives. No need to be over-dramatic!"

"Look who's talking." Ash whispered to Pikachu. Pikachu stifled laughter on Ash's shoulder.

Cilan rolled his eyes at the accusation. "Oh hush now. My point is that it's much easier to cope with these feelings if you take steps to resolve them."

Ash rubbed his chin. "That makes sense. But I mean, what do I say? Do I tell her now that I like her?"

Cilan grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Are you crazy? Over the phone? NEEEVVVEEEER...EEEEEEEVVVVEEEEEEERRRR do that kind of thing over the phone!"

Ash sweatdropped. "People are staring." It was true. Everyone in the Center stopped and looked over to figure out why one of the Striaton Gym leaders was screaming at a kid.

Cilan calmed himself and let go of his younger friend. "Ash, this is the sort of thing you need to in person, face to face. No, you call your lovely young lady, be casual. See how she's been. Ask if she's interested in traveling. You can't come off too strong, but you have to show her you're interested in her and have missed her."

Ash buried his face in his right hand. "This all sounds way too confusing."

Cilan laughed. "It's supposed to be. Just stay calm, make small talk, and don't spill your guts."

"Oh, and one more thing." Iris said, walking back up to them, "Don't do that cliche thing where you dial and then hang up right away when it starts ringing. Only wimps do that."

"I am NOT a wimp!" Ash said, gritting his teeth.

"Prove it, bucko." Iris smirked.

Ash angrily punched in the phone number to Dawn's house. Of course, he hesitated over the last number. He glanced over this shoulder at his friends.

"You'll be FINE Ash, don't worry so much." Cilan reassured him.

"Worst case scenario is that you totally blow it, and she decides you're a creep." Iris stated casually.

"Chu..." Pikachu said, patting Ash on the back of the head.

"Gee, thanks Iris." Ash sighed, and pushed the final button.

And as the phone rang, Iris quickly grabbed Pikachu, and they (plus Cilan), took off running. Ash frantically turned around. "Hey, where are you guys going?"

"Sorry Ash, but you need to figure this out on your own!" Iris yelled over her shoulder.

"Good luck!" Cilan added.

"PIKA!" Pikachu rounded off.

Ash sighed in frustration and pounded his fist in to his forehead. A voice rang out behind him.

"Berlitz residence. Er...Ash, is that you? I can't tell from the back of your head."

Ash turned around, blushing profusely. Luckily, it was just Johanna. "Er, yes ma'am, how are you?"

Johanna laughed. "Well this is a surprise! I'm fine Ash. Do you know you're supposed to face the screen when you make these calls?"

Ash's blush got worse. "Yes, I know ma'am. One of my friends was doing...something...distracting. Er, I wanted to ask if ummm..."

Ash froze up nervously. On the screen, Johanna looked at him with amusement. "...if Dawn was here?" She finished his thought for him.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, thanks."

Johanna chuckled at him. "You kids, I swear. Yeah, she just got home earlier today actually. She was very excited to get your letter. I'll go get her."

She wondered off the screen, and Ash's heart began to hammer in his chest. He could feel it echo in his head. _THUD. THUD. THUD._

The passing seconds felt like hours. He felt his palms get cold. His throat ran dry as he gulped nervously.

In the background, he heard what sounded like movement coming to the screen. His heart raced faster. _THUDTHUDTHUDTHUD._

Then it stopped. He waited. It had barely been a minute, but it felt like hours.

Suddenly, Dawn flew on to the screen very fast, making Ash jump in surprise. She giggled as she saw his reaction. "Heheh, sorry Ash! Didn't mean to scare you!"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Just surprised is all. How are you, Dawn?"

Dawn beamed. "I'm doing great! I just got back home from Pokemodeling, my Pokemon and I are going to enjoy this great day here in Sinnoh, AND I got your letter this morning." She held it up to the screen, like he wouldn't believe her if she hadn't. _Gah, now I feel stupid._ Dawn realized, blushing slightly.

Ash smiled, not noticing. "Ha, glad I could help. I didn't think my letters meant so much to you."

"Are you kidding?" Dawn asked, "I LOVE getting letters from you. Especially on some of the rougher days for Pokemodeling. After a hard day, it was awesome to see I had gotten a letter from you to cheer me up." Dawn blushed after blurting all this out.

Ash did too. "G-Gee thanks Dawn. I love getting your letters too!"

There was a momentary awkward pause. Of course, to Ash, it was a full blown cause to panic as the thought _OHARCEUSI'MBORINGHER, _ran though his mind, He quickly changed the topic. "So er-How did the rest of Buneary's modeling go, anyway?"

"It went really well! We're going to be on the cover of _Sinnoh Lately_ next month - both of us!" Dawn proclaimed excitedly.

"Oh wow Dawn, that's great!" Ash responded.

"Do you want to see the picture they're using?" Dawn asked.

"Of cours!"

"Ok - be right back!" Dawn said, taking off.

Ash breathed out. _Okay. This isn't going bad at all. Now, what did Cilan tell me to do? Er yeah, see what she's going to do now, and let her know I'm interested...and that I miss her. Eep. That'll be awkward._

Dawn popped back up on the screen."Hey, sorry about that. Anyway, here it is!"

Dawn held up a picture to the camera. Ash leaned in. It was a picture of Dawn and and Buneary, of course, but Dawn was in one of her fancier coordinating dresses, and Buneary had some sort of wacky styling on her that Ash had never seen.

Before he could even stop himself, Ash blurted out, "Wow Dawn, you look beautiful in that picture!"

Ash could feel his face burning as his mind registered what he had said. _So much for being easy._

Dawn dropped the picture on the floor and blushed almost as fiercely as Ash. "I-I do?"

For some reason, likely due to his embarrassment and Dawn's bewildered tone, Ash thought he had said the wrong thing. "Er, well, I mean, I didn't mean it like just that picture. You look beautiful all the time!" He spit out rather quickly, and winced as he mentally kicked himself for still not thinking about what he was saying.

_Smoooooth, Ketchum, smooth. She's probably embarrassed to even be seen talking to you now._ He thought to himself, cringing.

Dawn's eyes darted off the screen as she blushed. "Aw, t-thanks Ash. That's sweet of you to say." Feeling nervous, she quickly added, "So, uh where's Pikachu?"

Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, he's out taking a walk with Cilan and Iris. They decided to steal him from me for a bit. How are all your Pokemon?"

* * *

><p>Before either of them had realized, they had been talking for an hour, and Nurse Joy had to step over to kindly remind Ash that other people needed the video-phone, and it had a time limit, embarrassing Ash yet again. As Nurse Joy walked away, Dawn giggled.<p>

"Sorry to get you in trouble, Ash." She said, with a wide smile that made Ash feel weird inside. AAlmost like a bunch of Bug Pokemon were playing inside his stomach. Of course, he didn't know his grin had the same effect on her, even over a video chat.

"No need to worry Dawn." He said, grinning at the chance to borrow her catchphrase, "so before I let you go...what do you plan on doing now?"

Dawn glanced off to the side. "I'm not sure. I gotta say, I have that yearning for adventure you always told me about. Maybe I should go explore." And her expression began mock-serious for a split second. "And hey, no stealing my lines!"

Ash laughed. "Well, like I said, you would love it here in Unova." Before he could continue, he saw Nurse Joy approaching him again. "Ah, Nurse Joy's coming back! I gotta go! I'll write you later Dawn, I miss you! Bye"

Dawn laughed. "Bye Ash." Then she blinked and it hit her. "Wait, you miss me?"

**END TRANSMISSION.**

Ash began to walk away from the terminal, and froze up half way to the door. _Did I really just blurt out that I miss her?_ He punched himself in the forehead angrily. "IDIOT!"

* * *

><p>Back in Sinnoh, Dawn's heart was racing. " He misses me?" She felt like she was...what was the saying? On cloud Arcanine? <em>Something like that. <em>Dawn thought, blissfully

"Pip! Piplup!" A voice came from behind her.

Dawn turned to Piplup, who had come to see why she wasn't outside playing with her Pokemon, as promised. "Piplup!"

Dawn, smiling from ear to ear, kneeled down and pat her Pokemon on the head. "Sorry Piplup. But yeah...I'd love to go play."

Dawn followed her Pokemon out the door, practically skipping in ecstasy. He didn't know it, but Ash had made her day.

Later that day, as she played with her Pokemon, she saw a Starly approaching her, with a letter tied to it's leg. Quilava, who had just tackled it's trainer playfully, hopped off her as the small bird approached.

She took the note off the Starly's leg, and pat it on the head. It flew off after a few happy chirps.

"Oh, it's from the modeling agency, Buneary." Dawn said aloud to her Pokemon friends.

Inside of the letter was her last paycheck and a small note. The note read:

**Dawn,**

**Thanks for all your hard work! A small bonus for your efforts. Treat yourself to your hearts grandest desire!**

Dawn then looked at her check, and her jaw dropped so hard, it almost unhinged itself. _I don't think I've ever seen so many zero's in my whole life._

Her Pokemon, and her mother, who was outside watching, looked at each other in amusement and confusion.

Suddenly Dawn got a mischievous smile on her face. "Hey guys..." She asked slyly, "who's up for a little trip?"

* * *

><p><strong>Now seems like a good place to leave off. Now, as mentioned above, I have much less time to write on the weekends (I'm a single dad, and that's when I have my kid), so probably no update until early next week. Family comes first, after all.<br>**

**Thank you again for all the kind reviews, and I hope to see more! Hint hint _  
><strong>


	4. Pleasant Surprise

**Surprises: Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters involved in this story. They belong to the Pokemon people. **

**Thank you, once more to all who reviewed. Seriously, I love getting the email notifications stating I have a new review. Makes my day.**

**Also, I re-read this story, and noticed in the very first line, I write fix instead of fic. Talk about epic fail. I apologize for all my spelling errors in my chapters (hopefully they're all minor enough that you guys don't mind), and will try to proofread this more carefully.**

**And now, for the exciting conclusion of SURPRISES  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"It sounds like you did alright there, Ash." Cilan said, encouragingly. "A little mess up at the end, but you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, as they say."<p>

"Nah," Iris interjected, "I bet'cha he blew it."

Ash sighed. "I don't know how to feel about it."

"Don't think about it too much. You'll just nitpick over all the little details." Cilan advised the lovestruck younger trainer. "Besides, now, you can focus on challenging Brycen, the icy warrior of domination!"

Ash titled his head. "Is that what they call him?"

Iris sweatdropped. "No one calls him that. Cilan is just being Cilan."

Ash rolled his eyes while Pikachu facepalmed. "Pikaa."

"But you're right, I do feel better about going in to my gym battle now!" Ash stated confidently, pumping his fist in to the air.

He began to run off to the Pokemon Center exit, but Iris yelled after him. "You know it's getting late, right? Gym's closed for the day."

Ash slowed slightly. "Of course. I was just taking an early victory lap."

Feeling obligated, Ash ran a lap around the whole Pokemon Center. And yes, he felt (and looked) like a huge idiot for doing so. _And I didn't just admit I was wrong because...? _He questioned himself in his mind.

"You're such a kid!" She exclaimed, laughing.

Cilan laughed as well. "But the wonderful enigma of love is maturing him slowly, much like a slow-roasted -"

Ash's stomach rumbled angrily. "Enough food talk, Cilan." He whined, "You're making me hungry."

Cilan sighed. "Metaphor? More like metaphorgotten on you."

"Actually," Iris piped in, "Since you used the word 'like,' it was really a simile."

"Can we just eat?" Ash asked, defeated, at his two rather odd companions.

* * *

><p>Dawn was humming happily as she packed her backpack. Her Pokemon were helping her out, gathering things from around the room and bringing them to her. Her mom watched from the doorway. She had ordered an online flight ticket as soon as possible.<p>

"So, what's the plan there, future Top Coordinator?" Johanna asked curiously.

"I surprise Ash by responding to his letter in person. Other than that...just be with him." Dawn answered, blushing.

Johanna just chuckled at her daughter. "You kids are adorable. Just don't forget about your goals." She waved her finger warningly.

Dawn looked shocked. "Mom, of course! No matter what, I'll be Top Coordinator someday. I just would love it that much more if I had a certain future-Pokemon master there with me."

Dawn finished packing everything away. Looking over to her night stand, she saw it was getting late, and her plane left first thing in the morning. "Ah, shoot, I need to get some sleep! Return, everyone!" She stated as she recalled her Pokemon, save for Piplup (who had taken to sharing the bed).

"So, how do you PLAN on getting to the airport tomorrow?" Johanna asked.

Dawn froze in fear. "I-I...I DON'T KNOW!" She rushed around her room panicking. "Maybe I can get a later flight? Ah, I could bike? No, I'd have to leave now! What should I-"

Johanna simply laughed at her daughter. "Relax, I can drive you. Just wanted to make sure you didn't get too far ahead of yourself."

Dawn rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Er...thanks mom."

"No problem dear. Now try and get some sleep." Johanna advised.

* * *

><p><strong>UNOVA REGION - THE NEXT DAY<strong>

* * *

><p>"We are preparing to land in Icirrus City. Please prepare for landing. Thank you for flying Starraptor Airlines!" The flight attendants voice rang out over the intercom.<p>

Dawn looked out of her window Icirrus. _I wonder how I'll find Ash here? _She wondered to herself, _No matter. I just hope he hasn't won the gym badge yet...I want to surprise him._

Not much longer afterwards, she was leaving the airport. "Piplup, come keep me company!" She called.

Piplup popped out of it's Pokeball. "Pip?" He asked.

"Piplup, I need you to help me keep an eye out for Ash. He can't see us yet." Dawn said mischievously.

"Piplup?" The small creature asked, scratching it's head with it's flipper.

"I want to surprise Ash. Just trust me on this one." Dawn said with a wink. "First things first, we need to head to the Pokemon Center and see if he's still saying there."

"Lup!" Piplup exclaimed excitedly.

* * *

><p>"NO ITEMS! FOX ONLY! FINAL DESTINATION!" The Pokemon referee yelled.<p>

"JOHNSON!" Brycen yelled at his employee, "FOCUS!"

Ash, Iris, and Cilan glanced at each other and sweatdropped.

"ER...THREE ON THREE BATTLE! ONLY THE CHALLENGER MAY SUBSTITUTE POKEMON!" Johnson the referee yelled.

Ash grinned. "PIKACHU, GO GET 'EM!"

* * *

><p>"Yes, Ash Ketchum is staying here tonight. I think he and his friends were off to challenge Brycen's gym a few minutes ago. You may be able to catch them if you hurry." The local Nurse Joy told Dawn.<p>

"Crap! Er...thanks Nurse Joy! Come on Piplup!" Dawn shouted, slightly panicked. She turned on the spot and dashed out of the Pokemon Center.

'Piplup!" Piplup yelled, running out after his trainer.

Dawn poked her head inside the gym stealthily, Piplup resting on her shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Beartic! Use Brine on Tepig!" She heard the leader yell out.<p>

_Not much time..._ Dawn thought, ducking inside the gym and dashing into the girl's bathroom.

* * *

><p>"Well Ash, this has been a great match. I'm down to my last Pokemon, Beartic. What's it gonna be for you?" Brycen asked from across the arena.<p>

Ash paused. Both Pikachu and Tepig had been knocked out. He had to make this count. _Who do I choose...?_

Then, he heard something that sounded like an angel in his time of need:

"ASH, ASH, HE'S OUR MAN, IF HE CAN'T DO IT, NO ONE CAN!"

Everyone whipped around, shocked. At the side of the battlefield, Dawn was standing there in her cheerleader outfit, cheering for Ash.

"What the french toast?" Cilan yelled.

"DAWN!" Ash yelled excitedly.

Without any hesitation, Ash and Dawn ran up to each other and embraced, making Dawn blush. After a few seconds, Ash pulled back. "Dawn, I'm so happy to see you...but what are you doing here?"

Dawn looked in to Ash's eyes and smiled. "Ash...you said you missed me, right? Well, I missed you too." She blushed an even deeper red, and looked to the side. "Besides, you said you were going up for a badge, I thought you might want your cheering squad."

Ash hugged her tightly once more, taking her by surprise. She felt herself melt a little inside. "Thanks, Dawn. This means a lot to me." Ash whispered in her ear. She felt like a pile of goo in his arms.

"Er...this is heartwarming, really," Brycen yelled from the other side of the area, "but perhaps you two lovebirds can resume this after the battle?"

Ash and Dawn split apart, visibly embarrassed. But with renewed confidence, Ash whipped out a Pokeball, and turned his hat backwards. "You asked for it Brycen! SCRAGGY, I CHOOSE YOU!"

Iris shook her head at the display of young love. And she noticed Cilan crying. "Dude, are you crying right now?"

Cilan sniffled. "N-no, of course not."

"ASH, ASH, HE'S THE BEST! HE'LL WIPE THE FLOOR WITH ALL THE REST!" Dawn cheered happily.

Cilan sobbed. "It's so beautiful!"

Iris face-palmed.

* * *

><p>Ash ended up winning the battle, and earning his 7th Unova League Gym Badge. Afterwards, the quartet walked back to the Pokemon Center, with Dawn getting acquainted with Cilan and Iris. Once at the Center, Ash dropped his Pokemon off with Nurse Joy...but before she took them to get checked up, Pikachu whispered "Pika pi!" In Ash's ear. It gestured it's head towards Dawn, who was walking into the ladies room to get changed back in to her normal outfit.<p>

"You...think I should?" Ash whispered to Pikachu.

Pikachu just nodded. As Nurse Joy carried him off, Pikachu winked at his trainer.

Feeling inspired and confident after the big victory, Ash walked up to Cilan and Iris. "Hey guys," he said, "Pikachu told me to take a walk with Dawn and talk. Can you guys wait here for my Pokemon?"

Cilan and Iris looked at each other and chuckled. "Of course, Ash! Don't come back until you've gotten to first base!" Iris told him, winking.

Ash blushed furiously. "W-what?"

Cilan waved it off. "Look Ash, just-"

Iris slapped a hand over his mouth. "NOPE! Ash, you got to figure this out for yourself. Besides, this should be easy! She must like you if she came all this wa-HEY DAWN!"

Dawn walked up behind them. "Hey guys, did I miss anything?"

Ash turned around and rubbed the back of his head. "Er, nothing. I was just thinking of getting some fresh air...care to join me?"

Dawn's heart fluttered at the thought of alone time with Ash. "Sure, let's go!"

Cilan and Iris watched them leave.

"Think they'll tell each other?" Iris asked.

"If not, I'm going to be so frustrated from ALL THE UNRESOLVED TENSION!" Cilan yelled.

* * *

><p>Ash and Dawn sat down on the slopes of Icirrus City. They watched some of the Pokemon flop around in the water pools at the lower levels of the city.<p>

"You were right Ash, there are so many cool Pokemon here!" Dawn said, looking over at Ash excitedly.

"Yeah, I know, I found so many cool ones here." Ash replied.

They stopped for a second, and cool breeze blew across the Autumn sky. Dawn shivered. Without thinking, she scooted over next to Ash for warmth. Instinctively, Ash put an arm around her, making them both blush.

"Hey Dawn..." Ash began, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, what's up Ash?"

"How...how long had you planned this?" He asked.

Dawn looked down at her feet. "Well...yesterday, after we talked, I got my last check for Pokemodeling...and I thought about talking to you and everything...and I just...really wanted to be near you again."

Ash smiled to himself. "Well, I'm glad you came. I really did miss you."

"I've missed you too." Dawn blushed, looking down so he wouldn't see.

After a brief pause, Ash asked. "Why though? I didn't know I meant that much to you."

Dawn gathered up all her courage. _It's now or never..._

She turned over, and cupped his left cheek with her right hand. "Ash, do you know how torn up I was when you left Sinnoh?"

Ash blushed at the sudden movement, and felt his stomach tighten. "I saw you crying...but I didn't-"

"Ash." Dawn said again. "You did so much for me on our trip. You taught me so much, and you were always there for me when I needed you."

"You did a lot for me too." Ash said, smiling warmly. "Cheering for me, putting on shows when I was sad...you're amazing Dawn."

"I think you're amazing too, Ash." Dawn replied, "That's why..."

She paused, trying to find the words to say. "That's why..."

Her and Ash's faces were merely inches apart, having slowly moved closer as they spoke. They stared in each other's eyes for a brief moment before they understood what was on each other's mind.

They closed the distance between themselves, joining in what was their first kiss. After a blissful few moments, they separated, and gazed in each other's eyes again. Ash laid down on the hill, in a state of ecstasy. Dawn laid her head on his chest.

"I really like you Dawn." Ash said, staring up in the clouds, with a goofy smile on his face.

Dawn snuggled into him closer. "I really like you too Ash."

Ash reached an arm down and wrapped it around her. After awhile, he spoke up. "Hey Dawn?"

"What?"

"Will you be there?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"When I become a Pokemon Master. Will you be there?" He repeated.

Dawn climbed on top of him. "Only if you promise to be there when I become Top Coordinator."

Ash smiled. "I promise."

Dawn leaned in and kissed him once more. When pulling away, she answered, "Then I promise too."

* * *

><p><strong>Eight Years Later<strong>

"AND THE WINNER OF THE UNOVA GRAND FESTIVAL - MISS DAWN BERLITZ!" The announcer yelled out.

Dawn and Buneary bowed proudly. They went on to the stage to accept the ribbon, but the judges all stepped back and one whispered to the Announcer. After a moment, the announcer stated: "Ladies and gentleman, we have a special treat! The Festival Ribbon this year will be presented to the Top Coordinator by member of the Unova League Champion, ASH KETCHUM!"

Ash strode down the arena with Pikachu on his shoulders to a chorus of cheers. He walked on stage and presented Dawn with her ribbon. She was in tears as she hugged him and asked, "Ash? What's this all about?"

Ash smiled and looked in her eyes. "Dawn, I promised...I promised I would be here. I wanted to make this moment special for you."

"Ash..." she responded. "I can't think of how this could get any more special."

Ash flashed a grin at her. "I can."

Dawn wiped her eyes, "Oh? How so?"

Ash took a step back. And cleared his throat. He reached his hand to the side. Knowingly, the announcer tossed him a microphone.

"Ash...what are you?"

Ash dropped to one knee. Dawn burst into tear, understanding what was going on. Indeed, Ash pulled out a small box, opening it to reveal a ring.

"Dawn," he said in to the microphone, "these past eight years have been amazing. You have made me so happy. Will you ma-MMPH!"

He didn't get a chance to finish. Dawn promptly glomped him, and locked lips.

It was the best surprise he had ever given her.

* * *

><p><strong>THE. END.<strong>

**I hope you all enjoyed this conclusion to my fic, Surprises. You've all been great.**

**Reviews, please? It's free and EASY! Just push the review button!**


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